Combination container and applicator



Feb.20, 1968 w, s. FRIEDLAND E L 3,369,267

COMBINATION CONTAINER AND APPLICATOR Filed May 24, 1965 I20 /2O IloIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIII.

INVENTORS WILLlAM FRIEDLAND WALTER H. MCKINNEY ATTORNEY United States Patent COMBINATION CONTAINER AND APPLICATOR William S. Friedland, St. Petersburg, and Walter H. Mc-

Kinney, St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., assignors to Foremost Chemicals, Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 457,973 1 Claim. (Cl. 15104.94)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator 10 comprises a flat foldable pad containing material to be applied by wiping action, the pad being enclosed in a container comprised of two flexible sheets 12a, 12b sealed about their edges 14 and having a central transverse section 22 of the sheet 12a adapted to be removed as by tearing along weakened portions at 20, 21 whereby a central transverse section of the pad 11 is exposed. The pad and container may be doubled to form a substantial hand grip having a substantial area of the pad exposed at one end.

The present invention relates to an improved applicator for applying shoe polish, medication, cleaner, and the like with which the pad is saturated.

The principal object of the present invention is'the provision of a new improved applicator comprising a relatively fiat pad saturated with material to be applied to a surface or the like, and enclosed in a container comprising two flexible sheets lying on opposite sides of the pad and enclosing the pad about the edges thereof, the sheets being impervious to the material with which the pad is saturated, a central transverse portion or panel of one of the sheets having means for separating it from the remainder of the sheet to expose a central transverse surface of the pad whereby the container and pad may be folded with the unimpaired sheet doubled back upon itself and the exposed pad at the outside of the fold so that the doubled portion of the container and pad serve as a handle by which the exposed portion of the pad may be manipulated. The container and pad may be quite inexpensively produced, easily stored for indefinite periods without diminishing the elfectiveness of the applicator and is readily and conveniently used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following descriptions of preferred forms thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe polish applicator embodying the invention, a portion of the applicator being shown broken away;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 prior to opening the applicator;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the applicator in use; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a shoe polish applicator is shown comprising a pad 11 saturated with a suitable shoe polish compound which, when rubbed into the leather of a shoe, cleans and polishes the leather. Such compounds are well known and its composition is not necessary to the understanding of this invention.

Furthermore, the pad 11 could contain any other material or compound suitable for application by rubbing ICC the pad on the article or surface to be treated, and could be medication, furniture polish, scratch remover, etc.

The pad 11 is a rectangular cloth and is enclosed in a container or envelope 12 formed of two rectangular sheets of foil 12a and 12b which are sealed about their edges 12c in any convenient manner so as to normally enclose the pad 11 in a fluid tight enclosure. Although the sheets 129a, 1222 may be of any desirable flexible material, in its preferred form of the invention they are of aluminum foil and are lined with a fine film of plastic 15 adhered thereto, as seen in FIG. 3. Containers of the form thus far described are well known.

The central portion of the sheet 12a has two parallel tear lines formed therein by indentations or scorings 20, 21 and which define therebetween a panel 22 which extends transversely of the sheetqPreferably, one end of the panel 22 has a tab formation 23 thereon so that the panel may be removed from the sheet by grasping the tab and peeling back the panel along the tear lines 20', 21. To assure a straight line tear, in the form of the invention shown in FIG. 3, two lengths of threads 25, 26 lie beneath the scored lines 20, 21 and are positioned in straight lines beneath the scores by the film 15. The forward ends of the threads 25, 26 as viewed in FIG. 1, are preferably secured to the base of tab 23 so that when the tab is raised and peeled rearwardly the threads are raised therewith and readily out along the tear lines 20, 21 thereby elfecting a clean straight edge separation of the panel 22 from the sheet 12a. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 5, a relatively heavy tape 30 is secured on the underside of sheet 12a and its edges are below the scores 20, 21 and one end lies beneath the tab 23. The tape seems to separate the edges of the panel from the sheet when the tape is raised.

When the panel 22 has been folded on its end to one side of the envelope 12, the central portion of the pad 11 is exposed and by folding the envelope 12 along this exposed pad with the sheet 12b folded against itself and the end portions of the envelope brought together, the central portions of the pad project from the envelope, as seen at 11a, FIG. 4, and the folded envelope forms a convenient handle for manipulating the exposed pad to apply the shoe polish to a shoe.

It will be appreciated that the improved container provides a readily accessible pad which not only serves to preserve the material therein but which also serves as a handle in manipulating the applicator pad. therein without soiling the users fingers. The form of the applicator is so inexpensive to manufacture that it may be disposed of after usage.

It will be understood that although we have described the improved pad as used in connection with a shoe polishing applicator, it will 'be appreciated that it can be used for applicators of many other materials as well, such as medicinal applicators, furniture polish or cleaner, insect repellent, with which the pad is saturated.

Although we have described but one form of the invention other forms, modifications, and adaptations could be made all falling within the scope of the claim which follows.

We claim:

1. An applicator comprising a flat foldable pad carrying applicable material, a container substantially enclosing said pad and comprising two flat generally parallel coextensive flexible sheets attached together about their edges and enclosing said pad therebetween and means for severing one of said sheets along two spaced apart lines extending transversely thereof and at the central portion of said container, said lines being equally spaced from the respectvie opposite ends of said container to provide areas adapted to receive fingers of a persons hand gripping said container whereby the transversely extending central portion of said one sheet between said lines can be separated from said one sheet by raising and rolling back one end thereof for exposing a substantial portion of said transverse central section of said pad whereby said pad and container may be folded along the center line of said exposed section of said pad and the doubled back portions of said container and pad providing a hand grip comprising two layers of said pad and container having said exposed section of said pad at one end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. L. BLEUTGE, Assistant Eicaminer. 

